Meatal Stenosis

What Is Meatal Stenosis?

The meatus is the opening in a boy's penis where the urine
(pee) comes out. In meatal stenosis (mee-AT-ul steh-NO-sis), the meatus is too
small.

Meatal stenosis happens when irritation causes a scar at the meatus. This makes
the opening smaller. Irritation can come from rubbing against a diaper, an injury
to the penis, or having a
catheter
(a plastic tube that lets the pee flow out of the body) in place for a
long time. Meatal stenosis is more likely to happen in a boy who is circumcised.

A simple procedure can fix meatal stenosis. This makes the opening bigger so that
the pee can come out normally.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Meatal Stenosis?

Meatal stenosis is usually noticed when a boy starts to toilet
train and has trouble aiming his pee into the toilet. Meatal stenosis can cause
a boy to:

pee upward

need to pee a lot

take a long time to get all the pee out

Sometimes a boy may feel burning when peeing and, rarely, may see a drop of blood
in his underwear.

How Is Meatal Stenosis Diagnosed?

A health care professional will ask about symptoms and do an exam. If possible,
the health care professional may watch a boy pee to see the direction of the stream.
Usually, no other testing is needed.

How Is Meatal Stenosis Treated?

The treatment for meatal stenosis is called a meatoplasty(mee-AT-uh-plas-tee). This simple procedure makes the opening of the meatus
bigger. It's done by a
urologist
, a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating problems with the
urinary system.

Meatoplasty (also called meatotomy) fixes meatal stenosis for
most boys.

How Can I Help My Child?

Usually, no special home care is needed after a meatoplasty. Talk to your health
care professional if you have any questions.